Ebola – The Multi-faceted Consequences

“Some of my family caught the Ebola virus.  My two aunties and uncles who lived in one home with their children, were quarantined in their house and given instructions on how to avoid spreading the virus to others.  My two uncles did not catch the virus but both of my aunties and my five cousins died.  Many members of their community also died as people did not take the prevention warnings seriously.“

“My friend in the next county lost his wife and two children.  I have not been able to contact him to say I am so sorry.” 

“My neighbor and his roommate both died because of Ebola. My friend who is a barber also passed away.  My mother is very fearful and strict with all of our family about keeping up Ebola precautions.”

-Actual quotes by 3 of the people we have spoken with

Since last March, 3,686 Liberians have directly died from the Ebola outbreak. If you include Sierra Leone and Guinea, this number jumps to 9,000. The fatality rate for Ebola is 58%. Although the number of new cases in Liberia has decreased dramatically and is currently very low, there is the ongoing threat of new cases.

Hearing about the loss of family members and friends is deeply distressing. However, the numerous other consequences are equally distressing. The first, as we mentioned in last week’s blog, is that touch is no longer acceptable. Can you imagine no more handshakes, hugs or even pats on the back? Will this now become a cultural norm?

All schools have been closed since February 2014 to help contain the virus and to protect pupils and staff. Despite this precaution, many students and teachers have lost their lives to Ebola. What’s more, an entire nation has lost one whole year of education for every student!

Liberia, a country of great poverty at the best of times, depends on the presence and monetary support of non-government organizations (NGO’s).  On our way from the airport we heard that all the “angels” left when Ebola came and we were one of the first “angels” to come to them. We felt pretty angelic until it occurred to us that “NGO’s” said rapidly and with a Liberian accent sounds like “angels”.

The compounded effects of this health crisis threaten a severe setback in earlier development gains of this fragile state and are compromising the social, political and economic fabric of the Liberian society. The disappearance of NGO’s greatly affected the hotel business, and many of the associated businesses and jobs. Drivers for the NGO’s, the owners and staff of the restaurants, the grocery stores, individual shopkeepers, have all been negatively impacted. Most hotels were closed for many months. We are the first guests to stay at the Lutheran Guest house in six months. The good news is that the NGO’s are now returning in droves and the increased prices for accommodation and commodities is ample proof of that.

The people living in the cities avoided meetings and travelling. All non-essential jobs were halted. Taxis, which in Monrovia can be cars or motorbikes, were barely running at the peak of the Ebola crisis. We hear that the streets were empty of people and vehicles. At one point hardly anyone attended church and the rule was that all attendees must sit three feet apart. Over time, church attendance has increased significantly compared to pre-Ebola days. We suppose the people feel protected and comforted there but are also seeking divine intervention. There is now a resurgence of street vendors, people walking to work and vehicles on the streets with the associated horn honking! We are told that these honks can mean anything from “Move! You are in my way!” to “Hello, welcome to Liberia”. As we walk to the grocery shop and hear the beeps, we don’t know whether to wave or jump out of the way!

Sadly, there is more! Many lives were also lost to treatable diseases. People were afraid to attend clinics in fear of contacting Ebola. Many health workers contacted Ebola from their patients and died. Clinics were closed not only due to lack of available medication but also because the staff, fearing for their lives, no longer came to work. Misinformation and rumours were rampant and caused people to mistrust the medical profession believing that doctors and nurses were purposely killing them by giving them Ebola. Many people believed that anyone who went to a clinic would die. They refused to have their children vaccinated or treated for illness. Their fear was further reinforced by seeing the clinic staff in space-suit-like protective gear which consists of boots, gowns, head covering and masks. Sadly, Ebola survivors are often ostracized and no one wants to be near them for fear they are still contagious. We hope to visit a community nearby to get their personal stories one day soon.

Before coming here, we thought only of the terrible loss of lives to Ebola. Now we know that the impact of Ebola is much deeper than we could ever have imagined. It saddens us profoundly to learn how insidiously this killer disease has infiltrated the lives of the people of Liberia.

In a future blog, we will be sharing the projects that World Renew has and is implementing here in Liberia.